Mark2022

The first pic is similar to where I am with an 8 inch Meade at the moment. From the feedback I'm getting, it appears to me it's just a matter of try and try again while experimenting with collimation, focus, exposure times (some say as low as 4ms) and gain and then also, dealing with 'seeing', not forgetting what Knobby says about sampling. I'm looking for just one or two things which would make the most significant difference but haven't found them yet. The last few clear nights, since about the 12th when I last took some shots, I've just been a bit too tired to go out, set up and sit for a couple of hours attempting and I hate missing opportunities but I'm working on a shed/obsy during the day and, by the time night rolls around..... snore!

Yeah, good days. The "atmosphere" may be just as you imagine it. Exceptionally quiet, even though just on a hill in the suburbs of Edinburgh. Kid in the car snoozing away happily and me pinching time (the wife wasn't the supportive type LOL) in what was - contrary to how it looks - a very dark night/morning. That was 'observing' for me at the time and we didn't have anything we have today. No GoTo, no CMOS, no software. Just the scope and the sky.

Since I don't yet have any pics of my setup of today, I thought I'd throw in my set up from circa 1993 before life took the hobby away from me for decades. A shot of my AstroSystems 8.5inch Newtonian having a peek at Jupiter above the electrical cables while my daughter (who'd be around 1 or 2 at the time) was asleep in the car. Occasionally, she just wouldn't settle and I'd wrap her up, put her in the car seat and drive the 10 mins or so to the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh on Blackford Hill, whip out the scope and its Super Polaris mount and do a spot of observing. I didn't mind when she wouldn't settle, it gave me the excuse! Not a great shot. I was on film back then. I think it was taken with an old Minolta SLR. 🙂

I've just purchased a Swarey 240W power station from ebay for £90 and I'm wondering whether it would be worth also buying this solar panel kit considering I'm in the borders... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394808275047?hash=item5bec683067:g:ChkAAOSwECxkPPQ7&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4JfvgacWNaX79H5Kqs%2FuDnqiQZ8BghNGxd66pWus%2BZZiehDwscyD6tyB2tvtnDerLUv966dTpEmbaNWw9%2BEhfzXgXLlNc1FwllLkotOoOLAZm2obyytw%2FREBC7ZjQGaLFCvCX9RlQ1DqzNytZilp16eNMOCD%2BeLawNi4jbya%2B1LNWMOPuytBdA1Ci4cdid0vfNSQ50TEdEakhJKZGvqaAlcuZcRnViBU8Ru5DlG1XTNusA6atJLjhZxhn3azphCJ0Dbp0%2BEqgPbgdaokhyssrw8bQhEcLjaMTVOXNv9rRgbo|tkp%3ABFBMqPTiitdi I'm just finishing off the build of a small observatory/shed - a copy of Skipper Billy's "Flip Top" design - and it is built atop a car port which provides me with a 5x5M space which is enclosed by my house wall (with a door out to it from my first floor landing) and my neighbour's which means I am blocked from looking South/South west (but I just catch the meridian) and North/North East (but I can still see polaris. What I do have is (once I clear the neighbour's roof across the street which blocks East to South until about 20/25 degrees altitude) is a clear view of much of North East to the south meridian and, for the purposes of having power on the 'terrace'/roof of car port, I bought the power station but I'm interested to know if anyone in the north has done this while also having a portable solar panel to charge the power station at least some of the time? A few photos of the build if it interests anyone. Completion, hopefully, by the end of this month. I can assure you it isn't as perfect as "Skipper Billy's" but, by the time I'm finished with it, it will be sufficiently waterproof. The roof already is but, as for the walls, because I used wood from a neighbour's old shed (mostly anyhow to keep costs as low as possible) and due to me not liking overlapped wood on the walls, I'm filling lots of gaps and cracks with good quality sealant. Anyhow, anyone in the north (i.e. north of, say, Blackpool) who has tried the solar panel supply to a power station, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

I believe the RRP for the Anker is £250. I might be able to get one for £180 and am just trying to decide if it's worth it. I use the rig from a terrace area but I have no power running to it unless I keep a door open and run an extension cable (which obviously lets all the cold air in the house) and I estimate the cost of getting a new circuit put in with an outdoor socket would probably cost that £180 and more while also having a back up battery for various things and, if I wanted to go out in the field, would be useful. Problem is when you're working on pension savings for all of this funding. LOL

Thanks Fruity!

Never thought of trying but, even then, I'm still trying to get my head around layers and masks etc.